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Krispy Kreme, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 26 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue fell, adjusted EBITDA rose: Net revenue was $392.4 million, down 2.9%. Organic revenue fell 3.9%, mainly from closed doors. Adjusted EBITDA rose 21.0% to $55.6 million, and adjusted EPS was $0.09 against $0.01. Source
  • Full-year loss and EBITDA decline: Full-year GAAP net loss was $523.8 million, including goodwill and other asset impairments of $432.4 million. Adjusted EBITDA fell 27.5% to $140.3 million, linked to the Insomnia Cookies sale and the McDonald's USA agreement termination. Source
  • Free cash flow positive in quarter: Fourth-quarter free cash flow was $27.9 million, against negative $6.9 million a year earlier. Full-year free cash flow was $(64.0) million, with operating cash flow of $33.9 million. Source
  • U.S. adjusted EBITDA rose 39.1%: U.S. revenue fell 6.1% to $230.2 million, with organic revenue down 5.8% on door closures. Excluding $4.8 million of cybersecurity insurance recoveries, U.S. adjusted EBITDA rose $4.4 million year over year. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin up 280 basis points: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 14.2%, up from 11.4%. Management attributed the gain to productivity initiatives, SG&A savings, and removing costs of the McDonald's USA partnership. Source
  • Net leverage fell to 6.7x: Net leverage was 6.7x at year-end, down 0.6x from the third quarter but up from 4.5x a year earlier. Net debt was $938.3 million against trailing adjusted EBITDA of $140.3 million. Source

“Although our decision to exit underperforming U.S. doors resulted in a modest decline in net revenue, we expanded adjusted EBITDA margin 280 basis points year-over-year.”

Krispy Kreme CEO Josh Charlesworth

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Systemwide Sales growth Sourcefiscal 2026up 2% to 4% in constant currencyNew
Shop openings Sourcefiscal 2026at least 100 shops globallyNew
Capital expenditures Sourcefiscal 2026$50 million to $60 millionNew
Net leverage ratio Source2026at or below 5.5xNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: The company began giving annual financial guidance for 2026 and said it will add detail as refranchising plans progress. The Q3 release contained no guidance. Source
  • New: In December 2025 the company agreed for Unison Capital to purchase its Japan operations, a step the Q3 release described only as progress toward signing. Source
  • New: The Western U.S. joint venture restructuring now also adds current company-owned shops to the venture, in addition to reducing the company's ownership stake. Source
  • New: The company set a target of nearly 50% of systemwide sales from franchisees beginning fiscal 2027. Source

Fourth-quarter and full-year results

  • Revenue fell, adjusted EBITDA rose: Net revenue was $392.4 million, down 2.9%. Organic revenue fell 3.9%, mainly from closed doors. Adjusted EBITDA rose 21.0% to $55.6 million, and adjusted EPS was $0.09 against $0.01. Source
  • GAAP loss widened year over year: GAAP net loss was $29.1 million, against $22.2 million a year earlier. Diluted loss per share was $0.17, compared with $0.13. Source
  • Full-year loss and EBITDA decline: Full-year GAAP net loss was $523.8 million, including goodwill and other asset impairments of $432.4 million. Adjusted EBITDA fell 27.5% to $140.3 million, linked to the Insomnia Cookies sale and the McDonald's USA agreement termination. Source
  • Free cash flow positive in quarter: Fourth-quarter free cash flow was $27.9 million, against negative $6.9 million a year earlier. Full-year free cash flow was $(64.0) million, with operating cash flow of $33.9 million. Source

Segment results

  • U.S. adjusted EBITDA rose 39.1%: U.S. revenue fell 6.1% to $230.2 million, with organic revenue down 5.8% on door closures. Excluding $4.8 million of cybersecurity insurance recoveries, U.S. adjusted EBITDA rose $4.4 million year over year. Source
  • U.S. revenue per door rose: Average revenue per door per week rose 4.5% year over year and 7.0% sequentially to $660. Management attributed this mainly to exiting lower-volume, unprofitable doors. Source
  • International revenue and margin rose: International revenue grew 2.9% to $142.5 million, including a $4.5 million currency benefit; organic revenue fell 0.3%. Adjusted EBITDA rose 4.1% to $26.8 million, with margin at 18.8%, up 20 basis points. Source
  • Market Development royalties offset by equipment: Market Development revenue fell 4.0% to $19.7 million, with organic revenue down 4.9%. Segment adjusted EBITDA was $12.1 million, a 61.5% margin, up 370 basis points on revenue mix. Source

“We are pleased to have ended 2025 with positive momentum, driven by quality growth in the U.S. with key strategic partners, higher digital sales, and international expansion.”

Krispy Kreme CEO Josh Charlesworth

Margins and cost actions

  • Adjusted EBITDA margin up 280 basis points: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 14.2%, up from 11.4%. Management attributed the gain to productivity initiatives, SG&A savings, and removing costs of the McDonald's USA partnership. Source
  • SG&A expense declined: Quarterly SG&A expense was $54.6 million, against $67.2 million a year earlier. Full-year SG&A was $226.3 million, against $274.3 million. Source
  • Insurance recoveries in fourth quarter: Business interruption insurance recoveries of $4.8 million relate to losses from Q4 2024 and Q1 2025 from the 2024 cybersecurity incident, and are included in fourth-quarter results. Source
  • Shop closure and expansion costs: Shop closure expenses were $19.9 million in Q4 and $56.4 million for the year. Strategic initiatives were $39.8 million for the year, including $33.6 million for the U.S. national expansion and McDonald's USA exit. Source

Doors, demand and digital

  • Global doors fell 13.5%: Global Points of Access fell 2,363, or 13.5%, to 15,194, from closing underperforming doors. The base included about 1,900 McDonald's USA doors exited in the third quarter. Source
  • Digital share of retail sales rose: Digital sales were 18.2% of retail sales, up 380 basis points from 14.4%. Management cited higher digital sales among the drivers of positive momentum in 2025. Source
  • Sales per hub declined in both regions: Trailing four-quarter Sales per Hub was $4.7 million in the U.S., down 4.1%, and $9.7 million internationally, down 2.0%. Source
  • Systemwide sales rose 0.7%: Systemwide Sales were $1.96 billion for 2025, up 0.7% in constant currency. Organic revenue for the full year fell 1.3%. Source

“In 2026, we look forward to building on this momentum through systemwide sales growth, additional refranchising activity, disciplined capital expenditures, lower net leverage, and positive free cash flow generation”

Krispy Kreme CEO Josh Charlesworth

Refranchising and franchise mix

  • Other international markets to refranchise: Beyond the Japan operations, the company intends to refranchise certain other international markets. Source
  • Western U.S. joint venture restructuring: The WKS joint venture, about 15% of U.S. revenue, is being restructured. The company's ownership is to fall to a minority position. Source
  • Company-operated share of sales: About 75% of fiscal 2025 systemwide sales came from company-operated locations. This is the base from which the company targets a franchisee share from fiscal 2027. Source

Capital, cash and leverage

  • Capex was 6.4% of revenue: Full-year capital expenditures were $97.9 million, or 6.4% of net revenue, mainly for previously committed U.S. nationwide expansion initiatives. Source
  • Net leverage fell to 6.7x: Net leverage was 6.7x at year-end, down 0.6x from the third quarter but up from 4.5x a year earlier. Net debt was $938.3 million against trailing adjusted EBITDA of $140.3 million. Source
  • Liquidity of $207.4 million: Total available liquidity was $207.4 million, including $42.4 million of cash and $165.0 million of undrawn committed credit capacity. The company was in covenant compliance at year-end. Source
  • Small shareholder payouts: Full-year distributions to shareholders were $11,934 thousand, and repurchases of common stock were $1,350 thousand. Source

Turnaround plan and growth focus

  • Refranchising and capital-light franchising: One plan component is improving return on invested capital by reducing capital intensity, using existing assets and focusing on franchise development. Source
  • Profitable U.S. growth pursued: Another component pursues U.S. growth based on sustainable and profitable revenue streams. Source
  • Outsourcing U.S. logistics for margins: Margin expansion is planned through greater operational efficiency, including outsourcing U.S. logistics. Source

Coming up, as management said on 26 February 2026

  • Japan sale expected to close: The Japan operations sale to Unison Capital is projected to close in the first quarter of 2026, with cash proceeds of about $65 million. Source
  • Further refranchising detail to come: The company will provide more detail on its 2026 refranchising plans as they progress. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total shops (year-end) Source2,125 (2025) vs 2,078 (2024)
Digital sales as percent of retail sales Source18.2% (14.4% prior year)
Inventories Source$26,877 thousand (Dec 28, 2025); $28,133 thousand (Dec 29, 2024)

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Management links greater financial flexibility and debt paydown to the refranchising and WKS restructuring efforts. Source
  • Operational: International door closures in Japan and Mexico were made to optimize the fresh delivery network, reducing Points of Access in those segments. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Q3 release expected positive free cash flow ahead. Q4 release says the company delivered positive free cash flow.
  • Not stated: Q3 release reported progress toward signing refranchising agreements. Q4 release reports a Japan agreement and plans for other markets.
  • Not stated: Q3 release said the company expected to reduce its JV ownership stake to a minority position by 2026. Q4 release gives no date.
  • Met: Management says the Business Relationship Agreement termination took effect July 2, 2025, and the partnership is now ended. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.